1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor vehicle with a memory device for storing vehicle operating data. More particularly, the present invention relates to correlating vehicle operating data with distance traveled by the vehicle for diagnostic and maintenance purposes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicles with memories for storing data have become known for example through German Patent Publication No. DE 19639296. For such a vehicle, the energy loss resulting from clutch slippage is added up and stored in a memory device.
This has the disadvantage that the stored data characterize only a snapshot of the condition of the vehicle. During the vehicle""s time in a repair shop, for instance, only the current condition can be read from memory.
The purpose of the invention is to provide a vehicle of the above-described kind with improved functionality. Improvements are intended particularly with regard to diagnostics.
That purpose is accomplished in accordance with the invention with a motor vehicle of the above-described kind by providing a device for determining the distance traveled by the vehicle, and by associating the stored data of the vehicle data with the data of the distance traveled by the vehicle and storing those data together as paired values in a storage unit.
It has proven particularly useful if the vehicle is equipped with at least one driving motor and/or a clutch and/or a transmission. It is also useful if the clutch can be actuated automatically or if, in another embodiment in accordance with the invention, the transmission can be actuated automatically.
Furthermore it can also be beneficial if the clutch is actuated manually or if, in another beneficial embodiment, the transmission is actuated manually.
Is it also advantageous if a device is incorporated, which determines the lost energy resulting from clutch slippage. This can be provided, for example, by determining the energy loss from slippage in an electronic computer unit by integration of the product of the transmittable clutch torque MK and the clutch slippage (NM-NK), where NM is the engine rotational speed and NK is the transmission input rotational speed.
In doing so it has proven useful to provide a device that determines the engine rotational speed NM or another value representing that value. It is also useful to provide a device that determines the transmission input rotational speed NK, or another value representing that value. Furthermore it is beneficial if a device is provided that determines the torque MK that is transmitted by the clutch, or another value representing that value.
In accordance with the invention it is beneficial if the stored data can be used for the determination of adaptive values. For example, stored information relating to the energy loss or the power loss of the transmission can be used to calculate the wear of the friction linings of a clutch and thereby to adapt the engagement point of the clutch as an adaptive value based on the wear of the clutch linings.
It can also prove beneficial in accordance with the invention to utilize the stored data for failure evaluation and/or failure-warning purposes. For example, storage of the energy loss or the power loss of the transmission can be used to calculate the wear of the friction linings of a clutch and thereby the remaining wear reserve of the clutch, and it can also be used to issue a warning signal that indicates the wear condition when a critical limit value has been reached.